Page 23 of Obsession

“Please let Mr. Novak know that we’ll be in touch.”

“Of course. Do you need someone to show you out?”

“I’m good. Thanks.”

Once the van was on the road again, Teddy said, “Thoughts?”

Rivera answered without hesitation. “I don’t believe anyone broke into that house.”

“Neither do I,” Hansen agreed.

Teddy nodded. “Then that makes three of us.”

“Only means one thing then...” Rivera said.

“It was an inside job,” Teddy finished.

16

“Action,” Peter said.

Adriene rushed out of the building, on the verge of tears.

Tessa hurried right behind her and grabbed Adriene’s arm. “Wait.”

“Let me go.” Adriene tried to pull free, but Tessa held tight.

“Please, come back inside. Just give him a chance.”

“Give him a chance?” Adriene looked at Tessa as if Tessa had lost her mind. “We’ve spent our whole lives giving him chances. I’m done.”

“He’s trying. You don’t understand what he’s—”

“I don’t care.” Adriene yanked her arm from Tessa. “You shouldn’t care, either. Do you even remember what he did to you? All the promises he never kept? What he did to Mom and Dad?”

Tessa looked as if she had no idea how to answer.

“I never want to see him again. And you shouldn’t, either.” Adriene stared at Tessa for a beat, then turned and hurried away.

This time, Tessa did not follow.

“And cut.” Peter moved out from behind a monitor, a broad smile on his face. “Adriene, that was terrific. Exactly what I wanted.”

Adriene tried her best not to blush but failed. She and Tessa were playing the nieces of Mark’s character, whose lives have been upended by Tyler Storm’s attempt at making amends.

Peter turned to his crew. “Camera? Sound?” When he received confirmation that both were good, he said, “Let’s set up for the close-ups.”

Tessa walked over to Adriene and put an arm around her. “That felt great, didn’t it?”

“It did.”

“We make a good team.”

The second assistant director approached them. “We’ll be back up in about fifteen minutes. Let’s get you two into makeup for touch-ups.”

???

Matthew stood at the back of a group of fans, watching as Tessa and Adriene were escorted away from the set. He was too far away to have heard the dialogue, but he had seen Tessa’s face. Her ability to say so much with only a look continued to amaze him.

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